Timer and distributer.



F. C. HERSEE.

TIMER AND DISTRIBUTE R. APPLICATION FILED .IULY 30,1915- smiii .lmllllI INVENTOR. FREDERICK c. HERSEE' ATTORNEY.

Patei lted Oct. 31,1916.

ture of my invention,

FREDERICK G. HERSEE, OF BOSTSIII', MASSACHUSETTS TIMER AND DISTBIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 31, 1916.

Application filed July 30, 1915. Serial No. 42,757.

.L 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK 0. Fitness, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timers and Distributors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates ments in timers and distributors and particularly to that class in which a of rigidly connected insulated contacts are supported in properly spaced positions about a coacting rotatable contact member.

The main object of my invention is to produce a very simple and inexpensive conto certain improvemore struction adapted to better withstand and I,

resist those influences working to reduce the life and efficiency of the constructions such for instance as wear, strain, arcing and the like. i

As important features of my improved construction, I mount metal contacts in a metal ring and insulated therefrom by comparatively narrow rial so that the center rotatable contact is traveling forwardly all. of the time on metal.

This insure-s a substantially uniform wear rather than the irregular and uneven wear resulting from mounting the metal contacts at spaced points and at a considerable distance apart in a ring of insulating material. Furthermore, the metal ring may be of the same kind and grade of material as the stationary contacts and as an important feais mounted in a casing of stamped or pressed material. Thus, the casing may be very cheaply formed and made of a less expensive material than the ring carrying the contacts. For instance, the casing itself may be of pressed sheet metal, condensite, or any other pressed or stamped material.

As a further feature of my im'proved construction, I employ a spring normally under compression for pressing the movable contact outwardly toward the row of stationary contacts. By mounting it in the simple manner hereinafter described and combining it with the other novel features to be described, movable contact is more efi'ectively sponding parts in the series strips of insulating mateheld "in operative position, injury to the spring is prevented, and the length of life of the spring is increased. Reference is to be had to the accompanymg drawings in which I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and inwhich' similar reference characters indicate correseveral views.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is an end view showing the drive shaft in section; Fig. 2 is a transverse section in the plane of the contact members; and Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section.

v In the specific construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I employ a casing 10 which may be of any suitable form or shape. The casing is made of pressed or stamped material and may be of either conducting or non-conducting material. For instance, I may stamp or press it from sheet metal, condensite or other material. Within this casing of pressedmaterial, I mount a metal ring 11 which may be secured in place in any suitable manner. Preferably, it is held by the same means as holds the contact members as will be hereinafter described. In the inner surface of this metal ring 11, I provide a series of spaced pockets which may be of any suitable form and within each pocket I provide a contact member 12, the inner surface of which is curved and lies in the same are as the inner surface of-the members substantially crescent shaped, the

contact members may be forcedinto place and hold a curved plate 13 of'insu'lating material in place and at the same time be selfcentering. As shown, I connect to each contact member a screw 14 which may be riveted, welded, soldered or keyed to the-contact member so as to be rigid therewith and thus prevent it from rotating in respect thereto. For instance, I may drive a small pin 15 through the contact member into the screw to properly connect them. The screw extends through a radial aperture in the ring and a registering aperture in the outside casing and is insulated from both by a series of washers 16, the outer one of which engages with the outer surface of the casing and lies between a nut 17 and the outer surface of the casing. Thus, by tightening the amt, the contact is firmly drawn into its pocket in the ring, the insulating plate and the insulating washers are held in place, and the metal ring is rigidly secured to the easing of sheet material. The contact members are spaced at equal distances apart and their number may be varied in accordance with the use towhich the device is to be'put. I have shown adevice having four contact members adapted for use with a four-cylinder, feuncycle engine, but the number may be increased or decreased as desired.

A. drive shaft 18 extends into the casing substantially concentric with the ring 11 and carries a collar 19 substantially in the plane of the ring. This collar has a lug 20 on one side thereof and pivoted to the lug is an arm 21. The arm at one end carries a contact member adapted to engage with the inner surface of the ring 11 and the series of contacts carried by the latter. The movable contact member may be in any suitable form,

such for instance as a roller 22. The character of this contact member forms no portion of my present invention. Between the roller and the pivotal support of the arm 21, I mount a spring 23, the opposite ends of which encircle studs 24 on the arm and the collar. The spring is normally under compression so as to swing the contact member outwardly and thisoutwarll movement is limited by the engagement of the opposite end 25 of the arm which contacts with the collar. The spring is thus protected between the arm and the collar, is comparatively short, and being a compression spring, capable of only a limited movement, does not readily lose its expansive force. In case it does lose it, it may be very readily removed as its ends merely receive the studs which project toward each other and anew spring may be easily inserted.

In operation, the shaft with the movable contact member is driven from the engine so that the movable contact member travels over the series of stationary members and closes the several circuits in succession as is well understood by those familiar with the art. The insulation between the ring and tge'stationary contact being comparatively n rrow, and substantially narrower than the roller constituting the movable contact, it is subjected to very little wear and thus the movable contact member, even after the device becomes worn, may travel over a substantially smooth surface. In the drawings, I have not illustrated the complete casing, but only the parts involving my invention. It is of course understood that there will be another casing section concentric with the shaft and coacting with the casing section shown, to prevent the access of dust, water,-

and other foreign bodies to the contact members. It is of course understood that the casing section shown is so mounted that it may have a limited rotative movement in order to advance or retard the .time of circuit closing. F

l-lavin thus described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A timer including a casing of pressed material, a metal ring secured therein and provided, with a series of pockets in its inner surface, a series of metal contacts carried by said ring within said pockets, a layer of insulation within each pocket between the contact and said ring, said ring, contacts and insulation layers presenting a smooth cylindrical inner surface, and a contact member movable along said surface and adapted to engage with said first mentioned contacts in succession.

2. A timer including a series of spaced metal parts arranged in succession and each presenting a curved inner surface, all of said surfaces lying in the same cylindrical plane, insulation separating each alternate metal part from all of theremaining metal parts, a casing secured to and supporting the other alternate metal parts, and a contact member movable about the axis of said casing and resiliently pressed outwardly and movable along all of said metal surfaces.

3. A. device of the character described, ineluding a casing formed of pressed material, a metal ring disposed therein and having a series of pockets in the inner surfaceithereof, a series of contacts disposed within said pockets and insulated from said ring and having their inner surfaces flush with the inner surface of said ring, terminals rigidly secured to said contact members and extending outward radially through said ring and said casing and insulated from both,\and means secured to said terminals outside of said casing for holding said casing, ring, contact members and terminals in rigid predetermined relationship.

4-. In a device of the character described, a shaft, a collar secured thereto and having a lug integral therewith, an arm pivoted to said lug and having one end thereof carrying a brush and having the opposite end adapted to engage with said collar to limit the movement of said arm in one direction, studs carried by said collar and said arm intermediate of said lug and said brush, and a comparatively short compression spring having its tipposite ends receiving said studs.

ma ma 3 opposite end adapted to engage with sui' Middlesex and Siam of Mass., this 28th day collar toflhgnlt the mm 'cment of smd mm m of July, A. 5). 1915.

one di1'cti-0n. 1nd 1 60m 1 mtiwi sholt r r I 1 Mummum c. nmsm. gompresswn spring engagmg w an Sill-1,. c0; 1351' and with sun]. arm at u pomt mterm g EVLHMSSQSZ V mate of the brush and 5211(1 lug. MARY R. Hams,

' Signed at W'altham, in the county of FRANK V. Swarm. 

